Walking the lonely conservative road in the Age of Trump

If you’re a regular reader or listener of the Strident Conservative, hopefully both, you know that my central mission is to be a leading voice in the call for a return to conservatism and the Constitution. Since I place these values above political parties, I am an equal opportunity critic, holding members of every political stripe accountable when they fail to uphold these values.

Obviously, this puts me at odds with Democrats and the far-left, but it also puts me at odds with Republicans and so-called conservatives — a position that isn’t very lucrative personally nor professionally. Unlike membership in an exclusive club, standing for my principles carries a host of disadvantages, but that hasn’t always been the case.

In the days of Obama, standing for conservative values was easy. After all, Obama was a Democrat with heavy socialist leanings. Opposing him was not only acceptable, but it gave rise to the TEA Party and other conservative groups, and it was responsible for giving the GOP control of Congress.

But, alas, Republicans revealed themselves as spineless cowards who used the movement for their own political gain. Once in office, the GOP majority join in advancing the agenda of Barak Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi.

Unlike the days of Obama, conservatives are now criticized for opposing non-conservative principles, especially when they come from the lifelong Democrat with an “R” after his name currently occupying the White House. Once considered the base that held the remnants of Reagan conservatism together, conservatives are now forced to bow at the altar of Trump or be destroyed.

For example, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mark Meadows (R-NC) recently took steps to shut down the Mueller investigation by beginning impeachment proceedings against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Additionally, Jordan recently announced his candidacy to replace Paul Ryan as House Speaker — if the GOP retains control — on a platform based on being “just like Trump.”